Harness-hook.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

L. W. ASHLEY.

HARNESS HOOK. APPLICATION FILED 00T.17, 1904.

UNTTFD STATES PATENT @FFICIE.

HARNESS-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed October 1'7, 1904. Serial No. 228,737.

To all whmn it buoy concern:

Be it known that I. LEONARD W. AsHLnY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Harness-Hooks, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a .part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved harness-hook forthe purpose for which so-called snap-hooks are usually employed, butwhich shall be operativewithout a spring.

It consists in the features of construction set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved hookattached to the strap. Fig. 2 is a partly-sectional plan view of thesame, section being made at the pivot-axis through one of thepivot-eyes. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the locking element of the hookshown in the foregoing figures. Fig. 4: is a plan View of a modificationof the principal element. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the form shownin Fig. I.

My improved hook comprises two members, one of whichI term the principalor hook member and the other the locking member.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the hook member is made of heavymetal rod or wire, which is bent, folded, and coiled to form the eye 1,through which the strap A is attached and from which the wire proceedsin twin arms, each of which is coiled to form a pivot- -eye 2 andrecurved at the end to form the hook 3, having a rearwardly-open mouth3*. The locking member a is preferably made of malleable iron, havingthe eye 5 for receiving the strap, a web 6, whose breadth is transverseto the eye and to the web 7, which extends from the inner side of theeye. The web 6 has projecting from it the pivot-studs 8 8 for engagementin the eyes 2 2 of the hook member. The web 6 is forked at the forwardend, the fork-terminals 6 and 6 being curved toward each other, as seenin Fig. 1, and the opening or mouth 6 between them being open forwardlyat such position that when the two members of the device are assembledtogether, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, with the studs 8 8 entered in theeyes 2 2 and the web 6 extending between the twin arms of the hookmember and the eyes 1 and 5 of the two members adjacent to each otherfor engagement of both by the strap, the forwardly-open mouth 6 islapped on both sides by the curved hook-terminals 3 3 of said twin armsof the hook member, as may be clearly understood from the full-linerepresentation of the parts in Figs. 1 and 2, so that a ring 9 orequivalent element, with which the hook is designed to engage, havingbeen entered is retained in the hook. For entering such element-that is,for engaging the hook with that which it is to holdthe two members arespread, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, by sliding the eye 5 of thelocking member back on the strap, and thereby turning the two membersrelatively about their pivotal connection at the eyes 2 2 and studs 8 8and swinging the locking member across the rearwardly-open mouth 3 ofthe hooks 3, closing said mouth, its own open jaw or fork-recess 10being thereby carried to a position outside the mouth 3*, so that thering may be lodged in such fork-recess 10 between the fork-arms 6 and 6"of the locking member and carried by said jaw or fork back intoengagement with the hooks 3 3 as the two members are closed together bybringing the strap-eye 5 back alongside of the strap-eye 1. Thecustomary loop B on the strap may be moved up back of the eyes 1 and 5to retain the members of the hook in locked position; but it will beunderstood that any stress upon the connection of the hook with the ringwill prevent them from being separated, and the device is fairly secureeven without the loop B.

In Figs. 4: and 5 I have shown a form of the hook member which may bemade of malleable iron instead of coiled wire or rod. The eye 1 for thestrap, the eyes 2 2 for the pivotstuds, and the terminal hooks 3 3correspond perfectly to the similarly-designated parts of the otherform.

In either form it will be understood that the twin terminal members orarms of the hook member will be spread by bending to permit theintroduction between them of the locking member and particularly theentry of its studs 8 8 in the eyes 2 2, the twin members being thenclosed together to retain the parts thus united, after which if it isdeemed desirable for greater security the ends of the studs 8 8 may beexpanded, as seen in Fig. 2, to pre vent disengagement, which mightoccur by spreading the twin arms, though the directions of strain orpressure in use have no tendency to spread them.

For convenience in referring to the relative directions of movement andopening of the l hooks when the ends having the strap-eyes are hooks andforked jaw the end of the device which is connected with the strap isconsidered the rear or inward end, and the end having the eye forengaging the ring 9 and other elements is considered the forward orouter end, and the terms inward and outward, rearward and forwardemployed in the claims are to be understood in this sense.

I elaim 1. A harness-hook comprising two members pivoted togetherbetween their ends, each member having at one end a strap-eye. one ofthe members having twin arms extending from the strap-eye toward theother end, the other member having a web extending from its strap-eyeentering between said twin arms, the twin arms of the first memberhaving each at the end opposite the strap-eye a reeurved hook forming arearwardly-open mouth, and the other member having at that end aforwardly open mouth laterally lapped by the recurved together.

2. Aharness-hook comprisingtwo members pivoted together between theirends, each having at one end a strap-eye, one member being forked toform twin arms having the pivoteyes, 2, 2, and the terminal reeurvedhooks, 3, 3, the other member having a web which enters between saidtwin arms provided integrally with pivot-studs, 8, 8, and terminallywith the forwardly-open mouth in position to be lapped laterally by thereeurved hooks of the other member. a

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, at Chicago, lllinois, this 6th day of October, A. D. 1904.

LEONARD W ASHLEY.

In presence of T11oMAs J. OHARE, CHAS. S. BURTON.

